Opinion poll: Support for political parties in Finland remains unchanged

Social Democrats still lead, followed by Centre Party and National Coalition

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Little has changed in the past year in the demographics of support for different parties in Finland.
      In the latest opinion poll conducted by Suomen Gallup, the parties were ranked in the same familiar order they have been in since the Parliamentary election in the spring of 2003: SDP is in the lead with a 25.7% backing, followed by the Centre Party (23.4 %) and the moderate conservative National Coalition Party (20.9%). The National Coalition are currently in opposition.
      The figures are practically identical to those of the previous Helsingin Sanomat poll published in February.
     
Even behind the leading trio, the ranking order remains unchanged: the Left Alliance (8.9%), the Green League (8.7%), the Swedish People's Party (4.8%), the Christian Democrats (3.9%), and the True Finns (1.6%).
      Suomen Gallup carried out the poll, commissioned by the four largest parties. The poll looked into the popularity of the parties with regard to a Parliamentary election, and also into the respondents' degree of confidence in their choice.
      Even in that respect, nothing much has changed. Of all the respondents, 41 percent were very sure of their political views, and 46 percent were relatively sure. Only ten percent were relatively unsure, while 3 percent of those taking part in the interviews said they were not sure at all.
      Of the Centre Party's supporters, 45 percent announced that their vote would definitely go to a Centre Party candidate. The corresponding figure for the SDP, the National Coalition, and the Left Alliance alike was 41 percent.
      Those of retirement age or older are most sure of their political views, as 57 percent of them know exactly which party to support. Among students, the corresponding figure is only 26 percent.
      The telephone interviews were carried out between March 22nd and April 14th, which means the recent events surrounding Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen's divorce do not show up in the results.
      In all, 2,399 people were interviewed. The margin of error is two percentage points up or down.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Poll: Social Democrats still Finland's largest party (21.2.2005)
  Poll: Social Democrats surge in Helsinki (18.10.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat